The Badlands region in the Utah is famous for its arid and unforgiving landscape, which is decorated by sharp and eroded spires of stone. If you catch it at just the right moment and in the right conditions, however, these apparent wastelands can give birth to an extraordinary explosion of color and life in the form of beautiful wildflowers.

A galaxy not so far away: Salt Lake City photographer captures spectacular images of our own Milky Way arched over the pillars and canyons of Utah

Thought this was a desert? It's a magic carpet of purple wildflowers (but these Scorpion Weeds come with their own bite)

The cracks in the parched earth are clearly visible, but for a few short weeks - every few years - this remote section of desert is transformed into a magic carpet of purple. The wildflower Scorpion Weed takes over this corner of the Mojave Desert in southwestern Utah when the conditions are right.